It Takes a Village
by akblake
Summary: A look at what those nine months would be like for everyone if Parker ended up pregnant. Parker/Eliot, but told from others' perspectives as those two aren't the only ones affected by the hormones, insanity, and anticipation!
1. Nate (1 of 7)

**A/N: Spins off of Brinchen86's story "Twists and Turns" (story ID- 9147409). Go read chapter 1 of that one first, and this will make a little more sense. My friend's aware of this and gives full permission for me to borrow her idea :)**

* * *

****Nate stood, leaning back against the kitchen counter, and sipped his coffee while he watched his "kids" interact; Hardison, Parker, and Eliot were bickering back and forth about something, though the alliances seemed to shift at any given moment as two ganged up on one. Two weeks ago Parker and Eliot had admitted to the team what he'd suspected for a month already- Parker was pregnant, three months along, actually. He'd begun paying close attention right after the forgery job with Maggie when she'd come back from the hotel room with a sadly-nostalgic look on her face and refused to answer his questions. Then Parker had begun acting odd, even for her, and Eliot waffled between hovering and trying to give her space. Nate had watched their strange dance, noticed Parker's reaction to food, and made an educated guess as to the reason. He was careful about the jobs they took and craftily redirected Parker's roles in them to be less physically demanding, coincidentally it also placed her closer to Eliot's positions as they hadn't needed muscle for these jobs, and did his best to avoid drawing attention to his actions. He couldn't really explain why without revealing what he knew, and if he knew them, they had their own plans for the announcement.

Or, at least Eliot may have had plans. They'd all been together celebrating the end of a successful job when Parker simply popped out "I'm pregnant". In the stunned silence that followed, Eliot had sighed in exasperation and dug a tiny photo out of his wallet. When he dropped it on the table they could all see that it was a grainy black and white sonogram, though the amorphous blob in the center could have been nearly anything. Questions had started immediately as the photo was passed around and the pair did their best to answer. Yes, it was Eliot's. No, they hadn't been a committed item though they were now. Yes, she did plan to keep it. No, they didn't say anything earlier as they wanted to wait for the first trimester to pass before announcing anything. No, marriage hadn't come up yet. And yes, Hardison could be the official doting uncle as long as he didn't try to turn the kid into a cyborg of some kind.

He was drawn back to the present as Hardison left to go home for the afternoon, something about hoarding or a horde, Nate was never quite sure with some of the things the hacker did online, but it left him with an opportunity. "Err, Eliot…" he called to catch the man's attention. It took a few seconds as Eliot was still standing beside the couch and arguing with Parker that no, she wasn't allowed to have caffeinated coffee. Not even a little, no matter how much she begged or gave him the puppy dog look Sophie taught her.

Eliot looked up with an irritated expression, "What?" he asked. Parker poked him hard in the ribs and he batted her fingers away, turning back to give her a stern look. She pouted back and turned to give Nate her attention as well.

"Well, I," Nate hedged, now unsure how to voice his idea. "I thought that I'd remind you that I'm still ordained… if you ever wanted to…." he trailed off at the expression on Eliot's face.

Eliot, dealing with Parker again, sarcastically snapped back, "So what- your Catholic sensibilities demand that we get hitched just because we're having a baby? Parker, leave off!" Parker made a face at Eliot's exasperated yell and pulled her hands back from where she'd been poking him again.

"No, that's not what I meant," he hastened to explain- this certainly didn't look like the best time to have brought up the subject. "I just," Nate struggled to put his feelings into words, "I consider you two to be like family, and I'd be honored if you let me be the one to marry you. If that's the way you decide to go, of course." Nate took a large gulp of coffee to stop himself from rambling and wished that he'd put a little something in it. He could lead them through a horrifically convoluted con, or take a visible and dangerous part in a job, yet when it came to expressing his affection and emotions to them, he ended up a mess.

Eliot looked down at Parker in question and the two had one of their silent discussions. Looks flashed back and forth faster than he could interpret, though thankfully it looked like Eliot had lost the irritation somewhere along his stumbling explanation. Parker turned a smiling face back to him and chirped, "We're in, so when can you do it?"

Somewhat caught off guard, Nate had to think for a second until it hit him- somewhere along the silent conversation he'd witnessed was a proposal and acceptance, and now they were taking him up on his offer. "If you want to do this under your real names, get the license application filed and that'll give you a month to plan before I can do the ceremony. If you want to do it under one of your aliases then Hardison can insert the electronic documents and I can do the ceremony any time you want," he explained.

Another silent conversation took place. "We'll have to dig out or original documents, but we want to file the license under our real names even though we'd like you to marry us under the ones we're currently using. We kinda like these names," Eliot said and aimed a gentle look at Parker. She grinned sweetly and then poked him, in the ribs, again.

As another round of bickering started, Nate turned back to find his bottle of aspirin in the cabinet. No wonder he saw them as his kids- they certainly acted like it. A thought crossed his mind and he let an evil smile pull at his lips. "You two _do_ know that Sophie is going to go crazy about the wedding, don't you?" he called over his shoulder and heard immediate silence fall. He turned and found them both staring at him with identical wide-eyed expressions of terror. Satisfaction warmed his chest- he could still torture with the best of them! Plus he did owe them a little payback for waiting a month before telling the team that Parker was expecting. Even though he suspected, her blunt announcement was still quite a shock and left everyone rattled for a few days until what passed for normalcy settled in again.


	2. Sophie (2 of 7)

"Ooh, I'm so excited- a little girl!" Sophie enthused and grabbed Parker in a quick hug. Eliot watched the two of them with an amused expression, still holding the sonogram from Parker's four month checkup. As neither appreciated surprises, they'd agreed to find out the baby's sex just as soon as the doctor could tell them, and this seemed to be the day for it. It also gave Sophie an idea. "I want to throw you a baby shower," she said.

Parker immediately shook her head in refusal, "I don't need a party." Eliot echoed her sentiment before he left the two women to their discussion in favor of watching the game Hardison had playing on the screens.

"It'll be a tiny little thing, just for the five of us. Please?" Sophie pulled out the begging eyes which never failed. She'd been a good girl and stayed out of their wedding planning a month ago, per Nate's request, but she couldn't _stand_ to not hold a proper baby shower.

"But what's the point? We can buy anything we want, it's not like we're poor," Parker responded.

Sophie considered that, "Parker honey, a baby shower isn't just about getting gifts, though that _is_ a fun part of it. We're showing our support for you and Eliot by getting you things which you can use, and trust me- with babies, there can never be too many clothes, nappies, or toys. It's what families do for each other." She knew that the last part would resonate with Parker, given that she only celebrated Christmas because it was a family event and she saw the team as her family.

Parker sighed and caved, just as Sophie predicted. "Can we just have a dinner together instead of a party?"

"If that's what you'd rather have, then that's what we'll do," Sophie promised. She knew that Parker was still dealing with exhaustion even if the morning sickness had mostly passed and dinner would be far more restful an activity than a full party. "Why don't we have the dinner tonight? We already have everyone here, and I can arrange to have some of those heavenly chocolate cupcakes delivered from the bakery down the street."

Parker was hooked at the mention of chocolate. "Okay, but make sure that they're the ones with butterscotch icing- they're the best!" She enthused, lost in thoughts of chocolaty goodness. Sophie steered Parker over to sit on the couch with Eliot and made her escape over to join Nate in the kitchen, pulling Hardison along with her.

"We're having the baby shower with dinner tonight, so here's what I need you two to do." Sophie handed out her orders and sent the two men off on their errands. Nate would be picking up the groceries while Hardison would be in charge of getting the cupcakes. It was a bit of short notice for the bakery, but a lot of cash tended to guarantee expeditious service. She knew without asking that Eliot would step in to cook dinner, mainly out of self-preservation to keep any of them from ruining the food, and that would give Nate and Hardison time to retrieve the gifts they'd been buying for the past month. Hers were stored safely in her office's closet and would only take a minute to fetch.

After dinner, they dug into the cupcakes as dessert, and that bakery truly could work miracles with chocolate and butterscotch. Sophie had become addicted within a week of their move to Boston, and she'd quickly dragged Parker into the addiction too; between the two of them, they easily kept the small bakery's finances in the black. Parker managed to plow through three of the cupcakes before Hardison wisely moved the plate out of her reach- they all vividly remembered her previous problems with food and no one wanted to tempt a reoccurrence.

"Presents!" Sophie clapped her hands and ushered everyone over to where the living room sofa had been pushed aside to make room for Hardison's control stand. Despite being against the idea of a baby shower, Parker was looking decidedly eager at the sight of all the brightly-wrapped gifts, and Eliot had settled into an expression of calm openness rather than the usual irritation which graced his features. Pending fatherhood seemed to be loosening up their self-appointed guardian.

Hardison elbowed his way around Nate and handed Parker her first present. "We have to start with the best present first, mama," he crowed and sat back to watch. His pride soon turned to baffled distress as she began to sniffle and then cry in earnest. "Whoa, whoa, I didn't do anything!" he yelped as he quickly backed behind a smirking Nate. Sophie gave them both a dirty look as she took the tissues offered by Eliot and helped Parker mop herself up.

"I just, it's so sweet of you!" Parker hurriedly tried to explain the tears and ended up crying again. Sophie patted her hair and waited for the fit to pass while Eliot calmly brought back a glass of ice water for his wife. From his long-suffering expression, Sophie suspected that he was quite used to the mood swings. Nate was staying well clear of the hormonal mess, experienced enough to make himself scarce, while Hardison was nearly in hysterics. She caught Eliot's eye and nodded towards their hacker. With a flash of irritation, he moved off to drag Hardison into a corner of the room and explain. From Hardison's horrified and somewhat queasy expression, it appeared that Eliot was being a little _creative_ with the details. Sophie made a mental note to direct Hardison to a few good 'what to expect' websites later to combat whatever Eliot was telling him. Those two could be such little boys!

After the brief interruption, they got back to the fun business of opening presents. Parker ended up with a full set of baby vests fashioned after what Hardison claimed were _Star Trek_ crew uniforms. He seemed rather enthusiastic in his explanation of the red, blue, gold, and grey little outfits, even if Parker and Eliot were a little more subdued in their thanks. He also mentioned that he had something else in the works that he'd be able to give them in a month, but refused to say anything more.

Nate shuffled forward and handed Eliot a small box, simply wrapped. "Maggie helped me pick this out for you, she said that every child needs a back yard," he explained once the box had been opened to reveal a pair of keys. He received a rib-crushing squeeze from Parker and a half hug from Eliot as thanks.

"So that list you had us make up didn't make it to the real estate agent," Eliot joked to Nate.

"No, no it did. She worked with Maggie to find the house that fit all the requirements you and Parker wrote down, I'm just the one who paid the bill," Nate explained, appearing somewhat sheepish. He'd already lightened up on the heavy drinking; rationalizing that it wouldn't be a sterling trait to exhibit around the baby, but buying a house was unexpected to everyone but Sophie. She gave him a soft look when he glanced her way- he'd truly settled into his role of "Grandpa Nate" as the younger team members cheekily called him. Upon hearing that moniker, she'd quickly clarified that she would be Auntie Sophie, and the draconic glare she gave them made her threat very clear. She may be romantically involved with Grandpa Nate, but she most definitely was _not_ a Grandmum!

Sophie moved her own large box in front of Parker and couldn't help the smug grin as she sat back. Her main gift was one she'd held on to for a while, tucked away in storage on her little island in Tokyo, and it was perfect for this occasion. Thinking ahead, she'd bought both boy and girl clothing, and could always donate the boy's accessories left in her office to charity now that she knew the baby's sex.

Parker enthused over the baby vests and tiny little booties, more than a dozen of each from their resident fashionista, and then fell silent when she got to the item hidden at the bottom of the box. Even Eliot leaned forward for a better view as Parker lifted the beautiful item into the light. They were so entranced that everyone startled when Nate spoke.

"Didn't that go missing from a private collection back in '91?" He asked.

Sophie gave him a toothy grin in return. "It may have, perhaps," she dropped the innocent act and continued enthusiastically. "It was originally commissioned by Yazdegerd III, the last Sassanid king of Persia, for the birth of his son Peroz II in 636 AD. The stones are rough-cut gemstones: diamonds, rubies, and sapphires." She enjoyed the enraptured look Parker gave to the ancient baby rattle. It was gold filigree, with the top part being filled with the gems. They weren't cut and polished like modern gemstones were, but still possessed their original beauty and sparkle despite the primitive cut. Parker experimentally shook it and laughed at the tinkling sound the stones made against the filigree cage; Eliot rescued the rattle to pass around so that Nate and Hardison could actually get a look at it.

She was quite surprised to receive a tight hug from Parker, and held the young woman through a thankfully-short bout of tears and babbling that she took to be thanks. "There now, what better gift for the daughter of a thief than stolen gold and jewels?" As expected, that got Parker to laugh and she released Sophie to sniffle and wipe her eyes with the tissue Eliot handed her. That man truly seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to Parker's moods.

The impromptu celebration wound down as Parker yawned widely, and Sophie imperiously gestured at Hardison to begin cleaning up while she gathered all of Parker's loot together. Eliot and Parker had pulled Nate aside to get the address of their new house, saying something about checking it out in the morning, and Sophie smiled to herself. She'd helped Maggie pick it out from the list and highly approved of the sprawling rancher with its small plot of land. Not too much for them to keep up, but just enough for Eliot to have his garden while still leaving room for a child to comfortably play. It also had an impressive kitchen and featured exposed rafters, which should please both Eliot and Parker.

After everyone cleared out and Nate headed up to bed, Sophie relaxed on the couch for a moment longer to enjoy the silence. She'd held onto that rattle in the hopes of giving it to her own child someday but, as that time had crept past, it found a better home with the woman who she held as a sister in her heart. Sophie wearily got to her feet and slipped upstairs to join Nate in bed. A smile pulled at her lips as she considered that he deserved a reward for his thoughtful gift, yes he did…


	3. Hardison (3 of 7)

Hardison proudly allowed Parker and Eliot back into their house, the first time since he'd kicked them out three days ago. The two entered ahead of him and suspiciously looked around, as if looking for any possible damage he could have done. As if he'd be careless enough to do that to his peeps! He held Eliot in the highest esteem, though he'd never admit it to the guy, and absolutely loved Parker to itty-bitty pieces; those feelings were why he had just spent three sleepless days installing the best security system available just this side of a Steranko.

"Okay, this is a 35s71 system," he explained as he spun in the middle of the living room, pointing out the various cameras and panels. "I programmed it to know you, recognize your voices, faces, and even the way you walk. If it recognizes you but, say that your voice is stressed like if you were, perhaps, letting someone in under duress, it'll sound the silent alarm and this light on the TV will start blinking." Eliot squinted dubiously at the little light he indicated while Parker only glanced at it and went back to her intent examination of the keypad. "If the light blinks for more than thirty seconds without the proper code being entered into that keypad, it'll set off alarms at Nate's and my houses."

"What? Wait, since when did you get a house? I thought you were living in an apartment two blocks from the office," Parker whirled around to face him and had to catch herself on the back of the couch; her balance had rapidly shifted once she hit her fifth month and she still forgot to move slowly.

Hardison smiled wide enough to make his cheeks ache as he prepared to reveal his biggest surprise. "I bought the houses on each side of yours! 6653 is going to be Nate and Sophie's place when they want to stay there, and I'll live in 6657; originally I wanted a way to set up the motion and thermal cameras, but the angles from your lot just weren't right, so I bought the houses and included them in the security system."

Stunned silence met his revelation and he basked in his own genius. "But," Eliot's voice quietly broke through, "the houses weren't up for sale." Parker disappeared off into the kitchen, likely in search of a snack. He'd already been through their fridge in the past few days- veggies, milk, and a deplorable lack of orange soda; desperation had finally forced his hand, though, and he had resorted to eating carrot sticks of all things. At least _they_ were orange.

"Weeelll," he stretched the word out, "they kind of won the lottery I set up and decided to move out of Boston. I did pay fair market value for their houses, though." Eliot had a flat look on his face and Hardison decided to hurry right past the explanation of what he'd had to do to rig the lottery system in the first place. Parker rejoined them with a handful of celery sticks and a jar of marmalade. Hardison thanked the heavens that it wasn't the anchovies and honey that she'd experimented with last week. He didn't think he could look another anchovy in the face ever again.

She offered him a sticky-coated celery stick and he quickly declined, sharing an expression of distaste with Eliot when she wasn't looking. That woman could desecrate even the most mundane food! "Moving right along, once I had the houses around you, I expanded the security system so any alert will sound in the other houses as well. Now, as I am an absolute genius," he ignored their sarcastic snorts, "I have drawn up plans for each house to have a safe room in the basement and a secure tunnel connecting all three. If anyone, and I mean _anyone_, breaks into one of the houses, we can simply evacuate to one of the others and escape."

Even Parker and Eliot could see the point of his paranoia. They'd lost their LA office to Sterling and his band of idiots, and Eliot still had people out for his head. "Now, those plans won't be built for another week and a half as the company Nana recommended didn't have an opening till then. They're reliable and discreet, so they won't rat us out or sell copies of the plans. In addition to the safe room and tunnel, I had people in yesterday to change out all the glass windows in this house for acrylic composites two inches thick. The doors were a little more difficult- they had to fix the frames or the reinforced steel doors would have shredded the wood."

Parker shoved the jar and remainder of the celery sticks into Eliot's hands as she went to examine the windows. "I didn't notice! Why didn't I notice that the windows weren't glass, Hardison?" She looked nearly panicked as she twisted and turned, trying to find a tell-tale hint of distortion.

Hardison stifled a yawn behind his hand and blinked as everything in the room suddenly began to waver. "You didn't have to notice because you're not trying to break into your own house? Seriously, mama, you better quit doing that before you make baby girl in there seasick!" Eliot helped to corral Parker, though she kept giving the windows dirty looks. "As to why you didn't notice, the acrylic I ordered isn't _exactly_ available on the open market yet, if you get my drift," at that her eyes widened with recognition and she smiled eagerly. He'd fast-talked and flat out bribed his way into getting higher than military-grade acrylics, far, far higher. High enough that an inspection would likely have him arrested for at least four felonies and a handful of misdemeanors.

"Okay, let me see if I got all this straight- you kicked us out of our own house for three days to turn it into a fortress? The security system was intended for vaults, not houses, the windows can withstand an apocalypse, we now have steel doors, and you still want to put in a safe room with tunnels. Did I miss anything?" Eliot was visibly trying to remain calm and Hardison was starting to get the idea that he'd gone just a smidge overboard.

Parker interrupted his reply with her laughter and kept laughing until she began hiccupping. Eliot went to get a glass of water while Hardison helped her sit on the sofa. She took a long drink of the water and tried to calm down. "I love it- _we're living in_ _Fort Knox_! Ooh, can we get some gold bars to go around the house?" Neither of them could withstand her pleading expression and somehow, he was still a little foggy on the details, they agreed to loot a collection of gold bars for her. Her enthusiasm for the setup soothed Hardison's very tired and frayed nerves and seemed to defuse Eliot's temper.

"I'm having the same setup installed in the other two houses, but it had to wait another week. Anyone trying to get in would do better to take out a wall rather than a door or window, and the security system will set off all kinds of alerts of they do that. Nate and Sophie are moving in tomorrow, they didn't want to spoil the surprise, and I'll move in whenever I have a day free. Probably not until I get all the alterations done, and then I'm going to…" he paused as a jaw-cracking yawn interrupted and his eyes didn't want to stay open.

"What you're gonna do is take yourself to the guest room and go to sleep before you crash," Eliot insisted as he manhandled him upright. Hardison assured himself that he only allowed it because he was so exhausted, otherwise he'd show Eliot… he lost his train of thought as he was pushed into the soft bed and covered up. Parker kissed his cheek and whispered a quick "thank you" before they left the room and flipped off the light. Hardison felt sleep pull him under and blamed it on the lack of proper caffeine in the house. He dreamed of teaching a bright-eyed baby thief the best way to hack the Grand Cayman Bank, as the heroic Uncle Alec, of course.


	4. Snapshots in Time (4 of 7)

**A/N: little snapshots in time as a break from the character-driven chapters to mark the midpoint of this story. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey man," Hardison pulled Eliot aside for a whispered conversation, safely out of Parker's hearing. "Why aren't you stopping her? Even Nate thinks it's a bad idea and Sophie's convinced that it'll be a catastrophe! At least let me call some professionals in to take care of it for you." He didn't understand why Eliot had sat silently, with the barest hint of a fond smile, when Parker made her declaration.

"Mama once told me something that I'll never forget. She said that when she was pregnant with me, the sweetest thing daddy would do for her was say "Yes Ma'am" and then shut his mouth. He didn't want to argue and upset her." Eliot huffed a laugh at the memories in his head, "She later admitted that she'd caused all kinds of problems doing that, bulling ahead, but that he was right there behind her putting everything right and she loved him all the more for it. I aim to be that for Parker- I ain't gonna tell her that she can't paint the baby's room by herself, but I will make sure that she has all the paint she needs and I already got her a paint sprayer. If she paints the carpet with it instead, then I'll just replace the carpet. If she only works for a few hours and then wants me to do it for her, then that's what I'll do. The point is, the effort and expense don't matter; she'll be doing something that makes her happy, and I'll do anything for her to keep her that way."

* * *

Sophie hummed to herself as she browsed through the selection. She'd already found the perfect dress, but it needed just the right shoes to go with it. The red were enchanting, but entirely wrong for the outfit. She dropped them into her cart- they'd match something at some point, she was sure of it, and they were too adorable to leave behind. The yellow just weren't right… no, yellow with stripes was from two summers ago and was iffy even then. Finally, she found them! They were white with fine pink filigree traced on them, and they'd look absolutely perfect with the pink and white little baby dress she'd found from the store's summer line. Nate would fuss that a newborn didn't need fancy shoes as she couldn't walk in them, but Sophie knew the truth- every woman, no matter the age, needed the perfect pair of shoes for each outfit. Even Parker knew that, though her tastes ran towards something that she could pull off a heist and escape in.

* * *

"Our daughter is going to be very confused- Auntie Sophie is sleeping with Grandpa Nate," Parker's forehead furrowed as she considered just how very wrong that scenario sounded.

Eliot just laughed at her. "Sweetheart, she's going to be raised in the middle of a family of thieves- she'll have far more to wonder about than what those two get up to." Parker had read Nate the riot act, bellowing at some points, when he'd suggested that the two of them might like to leave the team and raise their daughter in the "normal" world. Nate still twitched when Parker's voice rose. Her point had been that their clients were a product of the "normal" world and she'd rather their daughter know both sides of it so that she could make an educated decision when she grew up. Normal or thief didn't matter, what mattered to Parker is that she'd fully know the costs and benefits of both options. Eliot had to agree with her, for a different reason- he didn't want his daughter to be blindsided by the shadows in life as their clients were, but would rather that she learn the tools she could use to beat or cheat the shadows at their own game.

"Yeah, I can't wait. I wonder how old she'll have to be to use her first set of lock picks," Parker mused as she sleepily leaned into Eliot's embrace. Exhaustion still plagued her and she dozed off before she could hear his reply.

* * *

Sterling walked into the bar and right into the middle of chaos. His perceptive mind took in the room's details and made him freeze in the doorway. A group of college idiots, judging from their youth and the university logo on their clothing, had apparently decided to engage in a drunken brawl which was rapidly spreading towards his targets' table. It wasn't the brawl which froze him, but the actions of the team- Nate had circled around the table to redirect the flailing bodies with Hardison's help, Sophie had grabbed one of the largest offenders by the earlobe and was pulling him towards what Sterling assumed was the back alley, and the other two made him quickly step back outside the door and walk away. An unmistakably pregnant Parker had a very protective and furious Eliot standing ready at her shoulder. Being rather fond of breathing and not a complete idiot, Sterling decided that he could hire the second-best thieves for this particular job.

* * *

"Huwha?" Hardison was pulled from a sound sleep by the security system's alarm. He flipped on the monitor to check out the camera feeds and only then realized that it was Nate and Sophie's house which was setting off the alarm. All was quiet on the outside, but the thermal cams caught odd movement inside. "No, just… I did not want to see… nasty y'all!" he all but shrieked as he silenced the alarm and killed the video feed. He'd found the disturbance alright, in all their naked twisty glory, and truly wished for brain bleach to kill the images now seared onto his mind's eye. If they weren't going to disable their alarm before doing… _**that**_ then he'd happily stay up all night adjusting their monitoring system's parameters to account for that amount of vocal stress and body movement. If he could make it adjust for Eliot's habitual vocal tones of annoyance and irritation, then he could work miracles to make it ignore what they were doing. He thanked his lucky stars that Eliot and Parker actually remembered to disable their system every time they came home.

* * *

Eliot followed Parker's singing into the living room, "Hey, where did we… what is that?" he asked, amazed by the contraption now hanging from the exposed rafters.

"I was bored, so I made my own rocking chair out of my ropes," she said, and demonstrated by sliding right into the seemingly-convoluted mass of rope. Parker knew her rigging, though, and it all smoothly slid into place to support her body as she leaned back and kicked off to gently swing until interrupted by Eliot stepping in front of her.

He leaned down to gently stroke the side of her face, "I love you, my clever thief," he whispered as he pressed a kiss to her lips. Hormones took over Parker and she abandoned her swing to pull him down the hallway and back to the bedroom he'd just left, empty tube of toothpaste falling from his hand to land unnoticed on the carpet. Insatiable was turning out to be Parker's middle name, or so they both claimed.

* * *

"Parker, you _do_ know that is revolting to watch?" Nate had held his silence through cereal with orange juice instead of milk, through anchovies with honey, and even through carrots dipped in barbeque sauce. He'd learned through experience with Maggie that women's cravings went insane during pregnancy and that his safety was in jeopardy if he objected. But what Parker was putting in her mouth just begged for him to speak up, if for no other reason than to get her to take it into the other room and away from his breakfast.

"Wha?" she managed to say through the disgusting mouthful. She did move away from the table at his request, but shot him a filthy look as she took her bowl of strawberries with scrambled eggs with her. Parker settled down in the chair beside Eliot and Nate considered that to be just punishment. Eliot helped cause the pregnancy, so he deserved to deal with her eating habits; besides, Parker wouldn't kill him if he said anything about it. Well, not much, Nate amended.


	5. Bonanno (5 of 7)

"Bonanno," he picked up the phone and snapped his usual short greeting. "You want what as a favor? Yeah, sure, I owe you about twenty by now, but… oh, I see. Give me the list and I'll start making calls, but it could take a while." Patrick dutifully wrote down the list and began to plan how best to begin as he absent-mindedly hung up the phone. Well, best to start with the easiest first.

He dialed the number from memory and waited until her heard a familiar voice answer. "Hey Colin, how's the Illinois State Police treating my baby brother?" Patrick listened to his brother energetically explain his latest case, including sound effects, until Colin ran out of steam. "Look, I gotta ask for a personal favor- can you check into a Conrad Dubanowski on 5th Avenue for me? A reliable source is claiming that he's been defrauding the state for at least twenty years, maybe more." Patrick again listened as his brother spoke. "No case, this one is personal and I'd appreciate it if you could get him on everything you can. And hey- Wendy would kill me if I didn't invite you to this to-do she's putting together for next month, the fifteenth, I think. I'll call you when she settles on when and where, okay? Take care Colin," he hung up and marked the first name off his list. The rest would have to wait until he finished his paperwork on the Connors case.

Patrick returned to his desk two hours later with a cup of very stale coffee and downed two more aspirin to help dull the headache now pounding behind his eyes. The paperwork was his least favorite part of the job and he swore that politicians intentionally made it more laborious with each revision. He pulled the list in front of him again and dialed a Nevada number he'd looked up earlier. "Detective Donner? Hey, this is Detective Bonanno from the Massachusetts State Police, we worked that Colombian case together last year. Yeah, I'm doing well thanks, yourself?" He got an earful as the older detective caught him up on his daughter's latest news. "She is? Well, congratulations! I won't take up much of your time, Ben, just wanted to cash in that favor if you can. I need you to investigate Victoria McNeil… yes, she lives on Dowart Street." Patrick sat with a smile on his face as he listened to Ben explain that they already arrested McNeil for multiple counts of child abuse and endangerment. Apparently one of her charges had found a patrolman who believed her claims, and the repulsive woman would be in jail for a very long time. "Thanks Ben, you have no idea how relieved I am to hear that! Ouch, yeah I heard that bellow too- you'd better go see what's crawled in his sorts, never a good idea to ignore the Captain," Patrick hung up and shook his head to clear the ringing in his ear, thankful that his Captain didn't have even half of the lung capacity.

It took three days before he could come back to the list as one of their cases blew wide open and everyone was pulling overtime. Wendy wasn't thrilled with him, but she'd been a cop's wife for twenty-seven years now and simply took it in stride, bless her. One of the junior detectives had taken a message that the person he was looking to contact had called him back, but had neglected to note down the phone number and he lost his own copy of it in the forest of files on his desk. Patrick searched through their internal database and found the New York number he needed and dialed. "This is Detective Captain Bonanno, thanks for returning my call. Were you able to find anything on Simon Tobin?" Patrick leaned back in his chair and listened to Sergeant Stewart's rundown of everything he'd been able to dig up on the dirt bag on the list. At first look, he'd come up clean, but a deeper search had popped up prior complaints that had mysteriously been dropped and the Sergeant had even gone the extra step of tracking down some of the man's victims. They all, to a one, were willing to tell everything that had happened decades ago and even though those crimes had passed the statute of limitations they still provided enough leverage to force a confession. The man, now in his fifties, wouldn't see the light of day for a long time, if he survived jail- inmates didn't like his kind of offender. Patrick gave his heartfelt thanks and ended the call, promising that _he_ now owed Stewart the favor as he'd gone above and beyond for what Patrick had asked.

The next name on his list proved to be surprisingly easy- Thomas Hart died eight years ago from a heart attack. His widow didn't continue fostering, and so Patrick crossed that name off of his list and concluded that sometimes God did a little of His own vengeance. He turned his attention to the last name, a Miriam Agresta, and picked up his cell phone to call his friend's number in Belmont. "Hey Cal, it's Patrick, you got a minute? I need to call in that favor… no, it's complicated," he sighed. This one wouldn't be as easy, he could tell. "Look, I got a source who's made some pretty serious claims, but it's all too old, nothing that you could prosecute. I need you to dig, _really_ dig deep, and see what you can find," Patrick waited as Cal dug out his notebook and moved to a quieter spot, the background noise from what sounded like a pub dropping sharply. "Miriam Agresta," he spelled out the last name as it was given to him, "Goddard Place was her last known, though it may have changed. If she's got kids in her care, then do whatever it takes to get them out- from my source's information, she's a mean one with absolutely no morals… Yeah, one of those who's in it for the paycheck and not the kids. Thanks, man," he offered and hung up.

He knew Cal from their college days and didn't have a single doubt that his friend would first verify the information he'd given and then move heaven and earth to find something on the woman when he found out just how dirty she was. It still amazed him how people like that got away with it for so long, but he'd worked inside the system long enough to realize that it wasn't anywhere near adequate.

The next day he was very surprised to see Cal's name pop up on his caller ID. "Hey Cal," he greeted, and then had to grope for a chair to sit down. "She had _four _in there? Are they going to be…" Patrick was cut off as Cal's rant continued. Agresta had four foster children under the age of five in the home, all severely neglected and malnourished. They'd been evacuated to the hospital and Cal assured him that they'd recover in time, though thankfully they hadn't been physically abused on top of the neglect. "Thank you, Cal… yeah, my source wasn't, but he heard about it from someone she'd had a long time ago," he confirmed Cal's guess that the information came from the inside, not from just a simple observer. "I'll let you get back to the paperwork and tell you what- next time you're in the city we'll pick up a game, my treat. I certainly will, and give my best to Lucy too," Patrick let the phone thump down to his desk as he collected his thoughts. His list was clear now, but rather than feeling relief he only felt aged by the knowledge he'd gained- the various crimes committed were all against children and had gone on for so long without anyone catching them. Five offenders, not even a complete list by far as his source didn't know them all… five pits of hell.

He picked up his desk phone and dialed a familiar number. "Nate? We got them all. Are you going to tell her? Well, maybe there'll be a good time for it someday, and if not then it's five fewer in the world anyway. On another note, I have a bone to pick with you- why wasn't I invited to the baby shower three months ago? Wendy has been on my back about it and has a handful of outfits she's picked out, and you know how she adores Parker. Nope, I am under strict orders to set up a good day for the girls to get together so that she can give her the outfits and have something she called a "spa day", honestly I quit listening after that. I'll tell her Tuesday and leave you to set it up with Parker then. You're welcome, Nate, anytime," he hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of his nose in hopes of staving off another headache. It had been worth the bother to get the offenders off the streets, the fact that it had been for Parker had simply put it at the top of his mental list. His wife wasn't the only one guilty of having a soft spot for the young thief.


	6. Parker (6 of 7)

Parker stared out over the city from the bar's rooftop, arms folded atop the low wall and body turned slightly to accommodate her belly. For a thief who depended on being light and quick, being nearly nine months pregnant was about as far from normal as she could get. She felt heavy, gargantuan even, though the entire team scrambled to contradict her when she voiced that opinion. They were sweet in their rebuttals, especially Hardison who had once sputtered that she wasn't fat, she was fluffy. It hadn't made sense to the others either so Parker didn't feel too bad for being confused. Her center of gravity had shifted yet again and she constantly bumped into things, and worse still- she couldn't see her own feet anymore. It was humiliating to depend on Eliot or one of the others to take her shoes on and off.

She rubbed at a sharp twinge in her back and growled under her breath. With her belly in the way, she'd had to sleep on her side now instead of her normal position on her stomach, and it kept her back in fits. Well, that and all the weight she was carrying in front certainly didn't help. But her back had been acting up all day and a general feeling of restlessness had ended up driving her to the one place where she knew she could relax- the rooftop. Parker closed her eyes and lifted her face to the morning sun, feeling it warm her face even as a slight breeze tugged at wisps of hair that had escaped from her ponytail. "Good morning, sun," she whispered her usual greeting. Mornings were the best, all fresh and new, a full day just waiting for something to happen. It was the same feeling she got every time she laid eyes on a new security system and she loved it.

"Oh no," she cried as a burst of pain rudely interrupted her appreciation of the clear morning and Parker felt a gout of fluid run down her legs. No, no, no, that wasn't supposed to happen yet! She sank to her knees as another pain hit and clawed her phone free of her dress's pocket. "Eliot, get over here now! I'm on the roof, and I think I'm in labor!" She didn't wait for his answer and dropped the phone to grab at her middle. This was worse than that time in Dubai when her lines had tangled and dropped her ten floors before slamming to an abrupt halt. Screeching tires sounded a while later as Eliot sped back from the store and she mentally timed his arrival on the roof to distract herself from the worries whirling around in her head.

"Parker!" Familiar arms gently hauled her upright and she flashed a pained grimace at her husband. He kissed her forehead before turning slightly to yell at someone still in the stairwell to get out of the way so that he could carry her down.

Parker immediately protested, grabbing onto the support pole for one of the building's exterior lights. "No! No hospital, I want to have her _here_!" She fought until Eliot let her settle back against the low wall. Her breath came in gasps from the exertion and seemingly endless pain banding around her belly. Even she knew that labor was supposed to take longer than this, but everything seemed to be moving far faster than their birthing class had taught. Parker heard Sophie barking out orders to get the apartment ready for her to come inside, but she yelled across that. "Not the apartment, _here_ on the roof," she managed to get out around pants. Remembering to breathe correctly was hard work! She dropped her head forward onto Eliot's shoulder.

Sophie's shiny navy shoes came into sight before she squatted down. "Darling, you can't have a baby on the roof- there's nothing set up and it's unsanitary. If you don't want the hospital, then why not come down to the apartment and you can deliver her there?" Parker knew that they all loathed hospitals, each for their own reasons, and that no one would force her about it unless there was a problem.

Parker grit her teeth through another spike of pain and vehemently shook her head. They could pry her hand off the pole and carry her inside, but she wasn't going to leave this rooftop willingly! "No, this is where I'm the most comfortable, and the coach said that's what's important. I want to have my daughter right here," she emphatically stated and turned a pleading expression to Eliot. He hesitated for a few seconds before he gave in.

"Fine, but you're going to the hospital immediately after, no arguments!" He kept eye contact as he spoke and Parker knew that she wouldn't win if she tried to negotiate that point. She nodded and leaned back into him for comfort. Nate was in the stairwell barking orders to Hardison, something about his duvet, when Eliot grabbed Sophie's attention. "Go get the blue kit from my truck, Sophie. If she's determined to do this here, I'll need what's in it."

Parker dimly tracked her quick footsteps leaving and remembered what was in the kit. Three weeks ago she'd caught Eliot in the living room putting together several kits and had made him explain what they were. He'd patiently explained how he preferred to be prepared, especially as he was the impromptu team medic, and had made kits that he could grab in a hurry- red was for someone getting shot or cut up, green was for severe sickness, and blue… blue was for if the worst happened and he had to play midwife for her. Parker never let on that she'd found out he was spending time with an old buddy from the service who was an ER doctor now, brushing up on what to do to help her if it came to that. Good thing that he had, because she wasn't going to budge.

Dark brown fabric filled her vision and drew her out of the haze she'd let her mind slip into and she let Eliot help her stand up so that Hardison and Nate could spread the thick duvet over the roof. She gave in to her body's restless demands and indicated that she wanted to walk around a little, saving her breath for those silly panting breaths she'd learned in class. Eliot helped steady her and gently stroked her back in support. "Easy now, don't breathe too fast or you'll hyperventilate. There you go. You're doing good, sweetheart," he encouraged in her ear. Parker tired of walking and turned so that she could hug Eliot, arms up around his neck, and leaned into him as they swayed together for a time. The movement relaxed some of the tightness in her lower back and she simply closed her eyes, breathing in his scent and gaining a measure of comfort.

"Let's go back so that I can check you, okay? You're moving a little faster than they taught and I want to make sure that nothing's wrong," Eliot asked. Parker nodded and they shuffled over to the folded duvet, though she did make him take her shoes off so that she could sink her toes into its softness.

Eliot pulled a pair of gloves from the kit that Sophie had brought up and Hardison paled as he realized exactly where those hands would be going. "I'm a. Um. I'll be downstairs if y'all need me," he stammered and disappeared back inside. Parker didn't really mind, one less spectator, and he didn't do well with blood or bodily fluids, so she preferred that he be somewhere _other_ than passed out on the roof. Eliot turned a questioning gaze on the other two.

"Either of you want to leave?" he asked, no sarcasm in his voice as he waited for them to either stay or go back down to the apartment. Parker, not being shy in the least, didn't particularly care who saw what and simply wanted this over- it _hurt_.

Nate stepped around to kneel behind Parker, giving her support as she sat. "If neither of you mind, I'd like to stay- I've been through this once before after all, and I'd like to help as much as I can." Sophie murmured her intention to stay and brought with her a bowl of water and a washcloth that she'd brought up without Parker noticing. Only after she felt the cool water on her face did Parker realize that she was sweating on the warm rooftop.

Eliot helped her lean back so that he could see what he was doing without breaking his neck and brought her dress up. They had a bit of an embarrassing tango getting her underwear off, but Nate and Sophie didn't comment, so Parker didn't see the need to worry about it and put it out of her mind. Besides, she had other things to think about, like keeping track of her breathing like she'd been taught. Eliot felt around, frowned, and then felt around again. Parker slanted a look at him, not appreciating where his hand was at the moment. "Are you done yet?" she snapped irritably.

"Going by what I feel, you're almost dilated enough to push, and it hasn't been long enough. Matty told me that it can take five to eight hours to get to this point, and it's only been what, _two_ so far? This shouldn't be going so fast, especially as it's your first," Worry slowed Eliot's words and Parker nearly shivered. Possible scenarios of disaster flickered through her mind and she lost track of her breathing until Sophie's hand stroked the side of her face. Her gaze snapped to the right to focus on the older woman.

"Calm down, Parker, I'm sure that he didn't mean there was something wrong," Sophie aimed a mild glare at a worried Eliot. "Come on, in and out just like they taught you, focus," she encouraged. Parker accepted her offered hand and was very careful not to squeeze too hard and accidentally hurt Sophie.

She waved her free hand at her husband, "I want to get up again." Eliot grabbed her hand and with Sophie's help they got her back to her feet. After she was steady, Nate and Sophie wandered off to the other end of the roof to give them privacy. Parker didn't want to step off of the duvet, knowing that the roof would be hot, but she did want to stand in a hug again. Her labor class had included several positions for labor and the two of them had tried them all to see which she was most comfortable with. This, just standing with her arms around Eliot's neck and swaying together, was the favorite for them both. They stayed that way, eyes closed and heads on each other's shoulder for nearly an hour as Parker leaned into him for every contraction and he rubbed her back in between.

Nate called something over to Eliot, Parker wasn't paying enough attention to hear what, but it made Eliot pull back. "Let's check you again- the contractions are getting closer together, aren't they?" he asked as he helped her sit back down. Nate again played backrest for her while Sophie provided a comforting hand to hold and wiped her face and neck. Exertion and the sun's heat had her sweating quite steadily.

"Can I have some water?" Parker asked, realizing that her mouth was very dry. Nate handed over the glass of water that he must have gotten for himself while she was standing with Eliot and she gratefully took a sip, careful not to drink enough to get sick. She'd been warned against that in class and _really_ did not want to experience it. "Thanks," she remembered to say as she let him take the glass back.

Eliot finished his exam and grinned excitedly at her. "You can push," he said, and they were the sweetest three words she'd heard all day.

Parker leaned forward so that she was kneeling and gestured for Nate to switch places with Eliot. "Come in font, so I can lean on you. Gravity will help and it'll be easier on me," she explained to a baffled Nate and Sophie and impatiently waited as the other three sorted themselves out. She and Eliot may have practiced a bit at home to prepare, especially as she wanted a home birth, but practice wasn't anything like the reality! Parker finally got to lean forward onto Nate, arms up around his neck and felt Eliot moving her dress up and out of the way even as he sent Sophie off to get an armload of towels. Now she could get down to the serious business of pushing which, following the rules from her class, she hadn't been allowing herself to do so far.

Twenty minutes later, after enough effort that she felt like she'd been both steamrolled _and_ dropped down a mountain, she felt her daughter slip free and allowed herself to relax onto Nate. His arms moved up from holding her sides to keep her steady to give her a loose hug, one of the few he ever gave. "Congratulations, Mom," he whispered in her ear and Parker felt a few tears break free from her control to soak into his shirt.

She sniffled and sat up gingerly, feeling as if her insides had been scooped out, swirled around, and dumped back in out of order. A thin cry had her twisting around heedless of her screaming muscles, eager to see her baby. By this time Eliot had already clamped off and clipped the umbilical cord the way his friend had taught him, wrapped the little one up, and had just finished cleaning out her mouth and nose with the funny little blue thing in his hand. "Gimme," Parker eagerly requested, holding out her hands and wiggling her fingers. Sophie laughed at her antics as Eliot handed over the baby. He'd get his turn soon, but for right now Parker had earned every right to hold her little miracle.

She heard Nate getting to his feet as she examined her daughter, but she couldn't tear herself away to look at him. Such tiny little fingernails and such a grip! She was sure that her daughter could make an excellent thief with a grip like that. A little tuft of light brown hair invited her fingers to investigate, and then she was looking into blue eyes. Intellectually, she knew that most newborns had blue eyes and that they'd change as she grew, but right now she was too captivated to pay much attention to intellect. Another contraction surprised her and she cried out, the first sound of pain that she'd made through the entire ordeal; life had taught her that silence kept her alive, and even after being with the team for three years now, she still had the hard-learned instinct.

Sophie rushed forward at her gesture to take the newborn as Eliot deftly helped her deliver the afterbirth and then cleaned up, wrapping it in towels to be disposed of later. It appeared that the two of them would be buying a lot of linens to replace the ones they'd used today- a simple cleaning wouldn't do, and it would be easier to buy fresh.

"So, are you going to finally reveal her name?" Nate teased them from beside Sophie, fingers stroking the baby's soft cheek. Not an hour old and Grandpa Nate was already solidly hooked around her tiny little finger.

"Helena," Parker replied. "It was Eliot's mother's name. For her middle name…" she paused, uncertain of how the idea would be received.

Eliot picked up the thought. "For her middle name, may we use your real name, Sophie?" he asked.

"I'd be honored, thank you," Sophie replied and wiped the tears off of her cheeks. Before her pregnancy, Parker couldn't understand how women could cry both when they're happy and when they're sad, but now she knew better. Those were happy tears on her friend's face, and on her own she realized as she swiped at the wetness. Parker accepted the little bundle back from Sophie and sighed happily at the feelings evoked.

Finished with cleaning up as much as he could, Eliot prompted her to get up. "Come on, let's get you downstairs and cleaned up before we go to the hospital," he urged and Nate appeared at her other elbow to help steady her as she tried to walk on trembling legs. They made it down the stairs without falling, going so very slowly, and Hardison met them at the bottom.

"Hey man, I kept an ear out and already called the private hospital over on Cranston. They're expecting you within the hour," he absently explained to Eliot as his eyes were glued to the tiny baby in Parker's arms. "Can I hold her?" Hardison eagerly asked, and Parker's lips twitched. She'd only ever seen that much excitement on his face when he got a delivery of new equipment to play with.

"Her name is Helena," she said as she carefully handed Helena over, showing him how to correctly hold her. Parker wouldn't let Eliot close the bathroom door as he helped her change dresses and quickly wipe herself down with a washcloth, and noticed that the others were careful to avert their eyes, focusing on little Helena instead. When Eliot came close enough, she reached out and pulled him to her, planting a kiss on his lips. "I love you, you know?" she flippantly asked once they separated, completely at odds with the deep kiss she'd just given him.

Eliot smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. "I know," he vowed, "and I love you, my beautiful wife." They stood for a moment, simply looking at each other from bare inches apart, until a noise from Helena brought Parker's head snapping around to look. Private moment broken, the five plus one piled into their vehicles to keep Hardison's reservation at the hospital. Parker hoped that he'd thought to make it a suite- from the looks of them, she wouldn't be getting Nate, Sophie, or Hardison out of the room anytime soon.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, Parker's delivery was quick. I based it off my sister's which actually took less than five hours start to finish. OBGyn couldn't account for it, other than to say that it must have been a combination of her fitness and the yoga/pilates that she'd been doing for years. If that's what did it, then Parker should get to benefit from the same :)**


	7. Eliot (7 of 7)

While Parker slept on her temporary hospital bed, physically and emotionally exhausted from her earlier ordeal, Eliot cuddled little Helena against his chest. It still hadn't quite sunk in yet that this tiny little bundle now clothed and wrapped in a proper blanket was actually his. His daughter. She yawned and squeaked, glassily gazing up at him for a moment before she nuzzled back into the blanket, and he was entranced enough to miss Nate's return to the room.

"Changes your whole life, doesn't it?" Nate's quiet voice startled him and he berated himself for losing his normal awareness. "I mean, for nine months you know that it's going to happen. You see the direct evidence right in front of you every day. Yet it's all so different when you actually hold her, then you truly _know_ that everything has changed." Nate sat beside him and peeked over his shoulder at Helena.

Eliot offered her to Nate, "You want to hold her?" he asked. Nate declined and Eliot was kind of relieved- this was the first time that he'd been able to hold his daughter since he'd briefly handled her immediately after birth. Helena was jostled as he moved and scrunched up her little face in response to the disturbance.

"Well, she's certainly yours- she has your frown!" Nate chuckled and Eliot sent him a mild glare, sending the other man into fresh laughter.

Parker stirred at the noise, "What's so funny?" she asked, voice thick with sleep and exhaustion. Her eyes blinked open as Helena decided to join in with a whimper that turned into a cry. "Bring her over and let me feed her," Parker demanded and Eliot was happy to comply. Nate made his excuses and hurried out of the room to give them privacy.

Helena was handed over to her mother and Parker worked out how to nurse her. Eliot stayed out of her way, knowing that his hands would only add to the confusion, and waited until Helena had started to feed. Only then did he slide into the spot Parker made for him on the bed and pull them both into his arms. He stared curiously at the sight, "Does that hurt?" The baby made little grunting noises as she nursed and he felt happiness warm his chest.

She thought for a moment as he took the opportunity to stroke the side of Helena's face. "Not hurt exactly," Parker tried to explain, nose wrinkled as she sought to put the feeling into words, "it feels… odd, not like when play with them while we have sex. But also right somehow." Eliot was glad no one was in the room with them- Parker still hadn't exactly learned how to be discreet about their sex life.

"Makes sense that it feels right. You're doing what nature meant for you to do," he explained and pressed a kiss to her temple. Helena had nursed her fill and fallen asleep as they were talking, and Eliot simply watched their daughter along with Parker until she nodded off too, leaning against his chest and her head tucked up under his chin. He luxuriated in the feeling of _peace_ which settled into the silent room and closed his eyes, breathing in the mixed scents of Parker's shampoo and Helena's baby powder. Minutes passed and he let them slip by uncounted, allowing his family both beside him the three standing outside of the room to lull him into a light doze.

A while later, he heard Nate greet the doctor and brought himself fully awake, fully aware that Nate had spoken louder than normal to give him a little warning. Eliot figured that the man must have peeked into the room at some point but not come so close as to have awakened him. Sometimes it amazed him just how far these four had wormed their way into his heart and managed to embed themselves on his instinct. He lightly shook Parker to wake her, "Doctor's coming in," he whispered as he bent his head to kiss her properly before he slid off the bed. Helena slept on peacefully.

Eliot listened to the doctor prattle on, telling them that Parker was perfectly healthy as was Helena. Despite her insane demand to deliver on a roof, she hadn't managed to do any harm, though the little doctor did scold her lightly for her decision. Parker looked entirely unimpressed with his shaking finger. They both were relieved when he cleared them to leave and congratulated them on becoming parents. The entire group descended on the checkout desk en masse and signed Parker and Helena out, receiving several pamphlets for new parents along with the hospital paperwork. Eliot made sure to tuck those into a jacket pocket to read later- he wouldn't turn down potential advice until he'd had a chance to evaluate its usefulness.

"We'll meet you all back at the house, okay?" he asked the others as he helped Parker into the truck and fumbled to get Helena strapped into the baby seat one of them, he suspected Sophie, had procured while they were held in the hospital. He received various acknowledgements in return, though Nate did promise to stop by a store and pick up 'supplies', whatever that meant. He really couldn't concentrate as he was still trying to get the tiny plastic buckle on the baby seat to snap together correctly. Helena wasn't exactly appreciative of his efforts either and started to cry, and then wail. Eliot leaned his forehead against the door frame and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to force away the tension and building irritation. He could do this. If he could take out a death squad with only his shoelaces, then a baby seat shouldn't be this difficult! Patience reinforced, he finally got the fiddly pieces to fit right and snap together. Helena quieted down as she exhausted herself, the doctor had warned them that she'd likely sleep more right now to recover her energy after being born, but that she'd bounce back quickly.

The drive home didn't take too long, despite being the end of a workday, and he wondered if Hardison had a hand in it from Nate's car. When Parker called him, he'd been across town at the little farmer's market he liked; he'd wanted to cook breakfast for everyone and needed fresh ingredients as Nate's eggs should have been thrown out a month ago. Traffic lights were the least of his worries at the time and he was still a little surprised that he hadn't been pulled over for some of the stunts he'd pulled to make the twenty minute drive in five minutes. He glanced over to check and Parker was dozing, so he finished the drive in peaceful silence.

Even having to stop at the store, Nate's car beat them to the house as Eliot had driven below the speed limit to be extra careful. Parker perked up when she heard the crunch of the gravel in their driveway and gathered herself. "I'll get Helena," she announced and Eliot was more than happy to let her wrangle with the evil baby seat. Expecting to hear her curse the thing, and privately looking forward to watching the struggle, he was dismayed to see it easily unsnap under her nimble fingers without a single problem.

They both trooped inside to find that Nate and Hardison had taken over their sofa while Sophie was unpacking supplies on the counter. "What is all that?" Eliot grumpily asked as he couldn't readily identify some of the things.

"Well, since she came before you were ready, we figured that we could help out a bit," Nate explained. "We got enough diapers to see you through a few days, a couple of pacifiers, I grabbed a few packs of burp cloths, and Hardison insisted on getting the noise thing."

Hardison puffed up with offense. "It isn't a _noise thing_! It's a heartbeat replicator to help her sleep- sounds like Parker's heartbeat that she's been used to hearing. All the online blogs are raving about it," he sat back with his arms crossed in a _so there_ expression. Eliot simply raised an eyebrow in disbelief. It didn't sound all that impressive, but if it helped Helena, he'd take it and be grateful.

Speaking of, he turned to face Parker as a foul odor drifted to his nose and saw her expression change to one of horror as they both stared at Helena. "I think we're going to need one of those diapers," Eliot called over to Sophie as Parker moved to lay the baby down on the coffee table. Nate, being more experienced, was quicker and tossed a baby blanket over the polished wood so that she would have something soft to lie on. Sophie brought over a diaper and wipes, and everyone crowded around to watch.

"Oh my god, is that for real?!" a disgusted Hardison yelped as the diaper was opened. "That's like biological warfare!" he backed off quickly, gagging.

Sophie delicately covered her nose and backed away, coughing. "Heavens, that's strong!"

Nate simply wrinkled up his nose a bit and remained, petting the little tufts of Helena's hair.

"You big babies! It's just poo," Parker scolded as she managed to get the black tarry mess wiped from Helena's bottom, using up far more than a handful of wipes in the process, and Eliot held the plastic shopping bag for her to drop them into. He'd already wrapped up the diaper to try and contain the stink- he'd smelled corpses five days dead which hadn't been nearly as offensive as what came out of the back end of his daughter! "Now, how does this thing go on?" Parker was holding up the tiny newborn diaper and turning it every which way to see how it could possibly be put into place.

Nate gently took it from her, turned it right side up, and demonstrated. "This part goes under her, the back, and this comes around between her legs to become the front. The tabs on the back are sometimes tricky- you have to be careful with the adhesive or it'll flip around on you and stick to itself, but it should pull around and stick right here in the front. Same for the other side, and there- fresh diaper," he sat back with a flourish of his hands, and Eliot leaned in to study how the diaper should look. He planned to share the duties with Parker and didn't want to try and figure this out at three in the morning.

"Thanks, man," Eliot called over to Nate as Parker finished scooping all the soiled materials into the bag and tied it closed. He imagined that Helena's face looked rather relieved to have that over as he picked her up for a cuddle. She began to whine and Parker took her, tossing him the plastic bag to throw in the garbage can. He turned away as Parker, completely disregarding everyone in the room, popped open her shirt to feed Helena.

"Parker, honey, perhaps you shouldn't do that out here," Sophie gently scolded as the guys all found something else to look at on the other side of the room.

Parker gave her a baffled look. "Why wouldn't I want to feed her here? It's not like I'm stripping or anything, and I can legally do this in public if I wanted to," she scoffed. Eliot nearly laughed at her nonchalance. Hardison was the least bothered by her lack of modesty, likely from being the person most often around when she decided to change clothes. Nate was slightly smiling, likely at memories, even as he intently studied the reproduction Manet on their wall. Parker had the original safely tucked away in their vault. Sophie appeared to be absolutely scandalized by Parker's actions.

Eliot sidled over to whisper in her ear, "Let her be- it's her right as a mother." He left the still-shocked Sophie to go grab a small fleece blanket to help Parker drape for privacy. Once she was somewhat covered, everyone slowly returned to their seats.

"So… I bet you're looking forward to getting back to jobs and out of the van, aren't you?" Hardison visibly cast about for a conversation to break the silence.

Her eyes lit up as Parker nodded eagerly. "I can't wait! I've kept up with my yoga and I'm more than ready to break into somewhere… hey, how about the Tiffany's store? Their security is just good enough to be fun!" Eliot took Helena as she finished nursing to allow Parker to put herself back together, and fumbled with one of the burp cloths. He eventually got it situated against his shoulder and then tried to burp Helena, who didn't appear to appreciate his efforts.

"Try rubbing," Nate suggested and Eliot looked askance at him, quite confused. "Instead of patting her back, try rubbing circles." Comprehension dawned and Helena quieted almost immediately.

A few minutes later, though, he discovered that he hadn't placed the cloth just right as she erupted and managed to make a mess of his shirt along with the cloth. He handed her off to Parker to change her little outfit and grumbled to himself as he stalked to their bedroom for a clean shirt. She'd just nursed a few minutes ago, how could milk smell so sour already? He dumped his soiled shirt in the hamper and dragged on a fresh tank, rationalizing that if he had to change again then at least it would only be the undershirt and not it plus his usual layers. By the time he returned to the living room Helena was being cuddled by Sophie, clothed in a fresh yellow outfit, and Nate was messing around in the kitchen. He headed over to survey the possible damage.

Nate saw him coming and explained, "Figured that I could make dinner, nothing fancy, just sandwiches so that you didn't have to worry about that too." Eliot was touched by the thought, even though he dearly wished to rescue his expensive knife that Nate was mishandling, and dug out their serving platter from under the oven where Parker liked to store it. This was despite the fact that they had a perfectly good spot for it in the cabinet, where it belonged.

"Food!" Parker chirped happily as she spied the pile of sandwiches. She filched half a ham sandwich before the platter made it to the coffee table and ravenously crammed half of it in her mouth. Eliot frowned at her lack of manners and she crossed her eyes at him in return. He supposed that she had every right to be hungry given the day she'd had, the day they'd _all_ had, he mentally revised as even Hardison set into the sandwiches with gusto. Nate pulled him aside to point out one item left in the bag.

"I also made sure to get Parker a pump," he said quietly, looking ill at ease with the subject. Eliot thought for a moment and then realized that he was talking about a breast pump, some of which he'd seen in the stores while shopping with Parker but hadn't considered. "Unless she wants to get up every few hours to nurse, she can… well, you know." Nate made vague gestures with his hands and Eliot barely withheld a snort of amusement. The man could handle Parker breastfeeding right in front of him, but talking about a pump which served the same purpose embarrassed him. Well, no one ever accused Nate of being consistent.

"Thank you and I don't just mean for _that_," Eliot scratched at his head as he tried to find the right words to express his gratitude. "You all have been unbelievably supportive through all of this, even allowing Parker to stay behind with you on jobs even when I know she was driving you up the wall," they both shared a chuckle. "And then all of this with the house, it's just so much…"

Nate cut in, "We've become a family, and this is what families do for each other. I remember when Maggie and I started out- we were alone in LA, on the other side of the country from her parents, and we had a rough start with no one around for support. You and Parker didn't plan for this to happen, but it did, and we're all just trying to help out as much as we can to make it easier on you. You can come to me any time you need help, advice, or just to talk; I know that Maggie is planning to call Parker and offer her the same help," he explained.

"Thank you," Eliot could only repeat as the level of gratitude he was feeling couldn't be put into words. Nate seemed to know, and simply nodded in return. As it was getting late, Nate prompted Sophie to collect her belongings so that they could head home, and Hardison took the opportunity to say goodbye to Helena before he handed her back to Parker. Finally, silence in the house.

Parker was looking drowsy again and Eliot figured that now would be a good time for bed. "Hey, Nate bought you one of those pump things, it's in the bag by the toaster. If you'll fill up a bottle and leave it in the fridge, I'll get her next feeding, okay?"

"Thanks, you _are_ sweet," Parker kissed him as she walked by and Eliot playfully growled at her for the insult; he wasn't sweet! She took care of things in the kitchen while Eliot carried Helena into her nursery. The beautiful wooden crib had taken him three hours to put together, not counting all the time he'd spent chasing Parker down for stealing his tools while he worked. He smirked as he remembered what happened the last time he 'caught' her. Helena fussed a bit as he laid her down and pulled up the little baby blanket that Sophie had found in a tiny specialty shop. He didn't want to know how much the thing cost as he'd been absolutely astounded at how overpriced baby items were; just because they had millions tucked away didn't mean that he wanted to be gouged! He rubbed Helena's back and she settled back to sleep while he gave in to the urge to just stand and watch her. She was so tiny and so perfect, absolutely beautiful. He'd helped make her, had helped deliver her, and still couldn't resist reaching out to gently touch her and assure himself that she was really here.

Two lithe arms wound around his waist from behind and he could feel Parker's familiar body press against his. "We're going to be the best parents in the world," she firmly stated, her breath tickling the side of his neck as she peeked over his shoulder at their daughter.

Eliot pulled her around for a proper hug and they shared a deep kiss. This was a topic they'd already discussed several times in previous months and he knew it by heart. "We will be. We have each other for support, and all the help we could want is next door. She'll be the most spoiled little princess with those three doting on her," he made the same vow in return that he always did. They both knew what they'd craved while growing up, and were determined to make sure that Helena had it all. They would also be each other's balance when it came to things like rewards or discipline- not fully trusting that they would know the appropriate response. But most of all, they had three others to depend on; an extended family of sorts just waiting no, demanding, to be involved in their life. It felt good, the contentment, love, and pride which swelled in his chest, and Eliot treasured the feelings as they went to bed for a few hours' sleep before Helena woke for another feeding. He'd happily drag himself out of bed when that happened because _I'm a dad_, he thought with a smile.

* * *

**A/N: As ****_Village_**** was to cover the pregnancy and their reactions, this is where I planned to end it and there will be no encores. I hope you've all enjoyed the journey, and to all who read it- I invite you to review. Reviews make my muse insanely happy and even something as simple as "I liked this" lets me know that my hard work hasn't been in vain :) Thank you to all who have reviewed as I posted; your kind words and support made me smile as I worked to write another chapter. I must also thank Brina- without her inspiration this story would never have happened, and she's the best friend I could ask for. Wench can sweet-talk me into writing almost anything ;)**


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